Enigma
by Infernal Blossom
Summary: The world of Casshern Sins is a harsh one for all creatures to survive in. Whenever a rumor surfaces, everyone tries to get their hands on it, hoping it'll bring them salvation. But some rumors just lead deeper into hell... WARNING: Will contain violence, lots of blood, some nudity, sexual content and rape. Follows main story plot (with a few plot adjustments...)
1. Chapter 1

It was hard to breathe. The air that once gave this planet life had become a cold blooded murderer. Every one of the planet's inhabitants, whether human or robot, were the targets of a serial killer they couldn't stop. Nobody could. How was it possible for one being to stand against the very thing that gave you life? How could someone attempt to? If one were to draw in even a single breath from the toxic atmosphere, their lungs would be reduced to a withered sponge in a matter of minutes... If they managed to survive for that long.

Even before the Ruin, in the days where the atmosphere wasn't a poison, robots were created without lungs. Why give a machine something so mortal? They were created to serve humans, not be like them. And then the day came where people felt robots should be more human. That day was both a blessing and a cursed were placed upon the world. For the first time, flesh and machine could equally coexist. They could be friends. They were able fall in love. They could marry. Human and robot romances became common and frequent. They became so similar it was difficult to tell natural life from artificial. But no matter their physical, mental and emotional parallel between the two beings, one fact remained. Robots lacked the ability to reproduce.

Many female models desired to have offspring just as the humans did. They would see women become mothers, men become fathers and couples become families. They could always adopt a child, but it wasn't the same as the motherhood experience when it started at conception. The female models coveted the feeling of another being kicking in their stomachs, to feel half of themselves growing inside of them. Soon the males began to develop the same desire, the want for a legacy. The idea had never been thought of before, and once introduced, was quickly set into motion. All robots rejoiced, seeing this as their true start of equality with the human race.

But then the Ruin came. Humans began to die out. The oxygen and nitrogen once breathed by all living creatures seemed to vanish, replaced by something incapable of sustaining much life. Robots didn't fair any better; they had lungs capable of diffusing the poison from the virulent air, but it wore at their bodies quickly. Many were wiped out from the face of the earth. Those who remained were left to live out the rest of their lives in peril. The only hope for relief from this cataclysmic land, it seemed, was death. Death, however, would come slowly to those who begged for it. Death became more of a dream than a feared concept. Families affected by the Ruin gathered together, either waiting for death or for salvation to be brought to them. It never came, though, and those families broke through the death of a loved one. Their demise would follow shortly after, then the next, and then another. This planet, formerly teeming with life and joy, was a shell of its former self: barren, almost devoid of life. The remaining life forms struggled to survive.

Few humans remained. There was no way for them to breathe the air without dying. Some founded underground shelters and supplied them with tanks of oxygen. The supplies, however, wore down quickly. Fights constantly broke out over what was left, resulting in more casualties. The colonies that had formed to protect civilizations dwindled to a scarce number. Friends became enemies, families turned into warring groups. The idea of an alliance vanished as most life did. Some chose to survive solo, finding it easier to deal with than dividing what little resources were found with others. They quickly went like the others.

True companionship ceased to exist. When one was being joined with another or a group, it was usually to restock on supplies. That, of course, resulted in more deaths. There were only a handful of groups left who could look past the fighting for the sake of company in their final weeks. Those beings were the truly lucky ones: even in eternal rest, they passed on happy knowing they were surrounded by someone who really cared for them. The life forms tried their hardest to restore the planet's population whenever they had the chance. Time and time again, unsuccessful attempts were made. Only a handful turned out well. Soon, though, all beings lost the ability to reproduce. The humans were hit hardest: with no other options, they disappeared. Only robots walked the earth, wandering, roaming. What else did they have to do? With no way to pass anything on, they were as doomed as the human race. Their home would wipe all traces of existence, leaving only land and water in their place.

Many years after the Ruin began, the remaining robots that struggled so hard to live heard rumors. There was a creature, scaling the fence between human and machine. It was said his body could regenerate matter taken away when wounded. It was said he was the cause of the Ruin. They heard if even a fraction of this creature's flesh was devoured by any that came in contact with him – and survived – they would be rewarded with immortality and the end of the Ruin. Countless robots sought after him. They all wanted to consume this being, the one called Casshern. Nobody knew how this Casshern looked, but all believed they'd know when he was in sight. Numerous robots set him as their target, some appearing more human than mechanical. Everyone shared the same hopes: to eliminate Casshern and end the Ruin.

But even if one robot was lucky enough to suck the life from him and eliminate the apocalyptic conditions, what would they do next? There was still the issue of reproduction. They still lacked an essential survival ability. Someone would have to re-create it for them. But who would? All those who knew how to create a fertile robot had died long ago. Even if the sky didn't smell of death, how would life carry on? Was Luna capable of restoring that power, that gift? No one knew for sure.

Another rumor that surfaced was the existence of human life somewhere on their barren home. That was more rumor than truth, for Casshern had been sighted multiple times. Everyone believed humans had been extinct for years. So for one to have survived would be a would prove two things: one – humanity still thrived in this wasteland; and two – the ones that survived kept their reproduction abilities. Some robots, few in numbers, believed they were still fertile – able to mate with any kind of creature, and took this rumor to heart. They hoped this human was like its ancestors and still retained the ability. If they did, life could continue. The Fruit of the Land, the human was called, and believed by many to be female. They needed that human on their side. However, information on proof of this human were in short supply. If a human was stumbled upon, the robots would have to gain their trust, before starting to repopulate. But they first needed evidence of this human's existence, a spark of hope somewhere. A spark would mean the difference between life and death for a dwindling race. How would said human even breathe in this awful atmosphere? The air would surely kill them, and quickly. And what about food? Plants could barely survive in this environment. They were lucky water still existed. What was the point of seeking something that would soon become a pile of rotted flesh?

-0-0-0-0-

A robot's body was pushed over, leaving it to lay on its back. The Ruin had damaged it quickly since its death; there was almost nothing left of it. Wires and duct pipes dangled out from the holes in its body. It was difficult to tell how long ago the robot had died. At least some of the inner parts were still in decent shape. A few duct pipes were carefully removed from the robot's breathing system and checked for holes. Luckily, there were two good ones without any dangerous openings. A deep breath was drawn in, held tight. The newly found pipes replaced old worn ones, the old ones tossed aside. It was easier to breathe with the new equipment. A sigh escaped her lips. She wondered when she'd be free of wearing this mask, but the chances of it ever coming off was miniscule. She couldn't survive without it.

Now she had to find something to eat. Her rations were running low, and she hadn't eaten in nearly twelve hours. She hadn't see any kind of plant life for a while, though. Where was she to get her next meal? She'd die without it. The thought was pushed back to the deepest parts of her mind and locked away, chained down so she could concentrate on the task. She continued her hike across the barren land, not knowing how far she'd have to travel. It seemed like forever, until she finally saw a shape in the distance. Squinting, she realized it was a tree. Her stomach growled. She ran toward the tree, pushing off her already weak legs as hard as they allowed her, until she stood before the plant. Apples were scattered all over the ground, at least half of them already rotted. The tree looked surprisingly healthy for living in such vile conditions. She took her bag off her back and opened it, tossing in as many apples as she could fit inside the already packed case. She kept one out and pulled the bag onto her back again, cleaning off the fruit. Now came the tricky part. She sucked in a deep breath and acted quickly, removing her mask to sink her teeth into the fruit, and immediately replacing it while she chewed. Her stomach growling ceased once it tasted the sweet fruit, and she repeated the process with each bite. As good as the apple was, though, she knew it wouldn't be enough to keep her going. She needed to find other sources of food, with high amounts of protein and calcium, so she could keep moving. It was the only way she'd be able to continue her journey to find Luna, and to hopefully find other humans. She knew there were others out there, just not how many or where they could be.

Soon the apple was gone, then another. She kept the others in her bag, knowing she'd need them more later on. After resting for a short while, she pressed on, now searching for shelter. Her last source of cover only held for a few hours, collapsing in on itself shortly afterward. She had to find a stable cave, hopefully a former mining site, where the structure was reinforced. But she wouldn't know for miles, until she spotted it in the distance, just as with the tree. That was the only option available, though; it wasn't like she had an escort or savior anywhere nearby.

Hours passed. The sun had walked its path across the sky, now beginning its descent under the horizon. Her time to find a temporary home was running out. During her trek for shelter, she'd stopped twice to eat a few apples, being careful to save whatever she had. She knew the apples, and whatever she'd consume, was exposed to the toxic air. Somehow the few patches of plant life and water sources she'd found had adapted to the changing world. Plants and water could thrive, but robots and humans has to struggle. She was lucky her body had adapted, too. Thinking about water made her want to check her rations. She swung her arm around to the canteen hanging off of her bag and unhooked it, and shook it. The water inside sloshed, easily banging against the metal container. There wasn't much left. She needed more, but there was no river or lake nearby. The apples had water, but not enough to keep her hydrated for days. She needed shelter and water, before the sun fully set.

Her luck persevered when she found a large cave. Again, she ran, moving through her calves and feet burning with each step. The cave ceiling soon covered her and the sun vanished behind it. That was one matter solved, now she just needed to find water. She walked deeper into the cave, only stopping when she felt the ground beneath her turn to mud. A few feet away was a small water pool. She sighed, relieved to be able to live for a while longer, and set her things against the wall. She removed her mask, knelt down and cupped her hands, and fed herself the liquid. It cooled her parched throat, soothed her arid lips. She had to carefully time the space between each sip and breath so she wouldn't asphyxiate. Once finished drinking, she returned the mask to her face and refilled her canteen. It was beginning to look like the robot she'd taken parts from, meaning she'd need a new one soon. Her issues of shelter and water were solved for the time being. Now her focus could shift to how she was going to find a source of protein. Animals were near extinction, if not already wiped out. Plenty of edible foliage had protein, it was just a matter of finding it.

Beans. Lentils. Potatoes. Virtually anything that grew underground would do the trick. She picked an area close to the cave wall and started digging, making sure to keep the dirt away from the water pool. Soon the hole was two feet deep, and she saw small sprouts. She pulled one up. A bean pod. She kept on digging, pulling up more and more, gathering a large pile in no time. She didn't have to worry about supplies anymore, at least not for a while. When the last bean pod was pulled, she packed most of them into her bag, filling it to the top. She couldn't carry anything more in it.

She ate as many of the beans as she could in the intervals between breaths. By the time the sunlight vanished from the outside, she'd restored her energy and provisions. A yawn escaped her mouth. It had been a grueling day, mostly filled with walking and aching muscles. She found some dry wood, enough to last about a week, and started a fire to keep warm. She wasn't going anywhere for a while. Her bag was pulled down to the floor and laid on its side. It wouldn't be comfortable, but it was a better pillow than a rock. Before lying down, she opened a small side pocket, tugging out a hunting knife. She set it down near the bag and laid down, keeping a grip on the handle. Doing this was more instinctive than out of fear. She'd used the knife countless times before, whether it was for cutting fruits and vegetables, or to protect herself from attacks, or to cut out spare parts from a deceased robot so she could use them. The knife was the only thing she trusted.

As she began to drift off, she suddenly heard metal banging. She shot up, her hand tightening around the knife and put out the fire, then hid behind a large boulder. Her bag blended in with the ground, so there was no worry about her supplies. Peeking from behind the boulder, she saw a large pair of rusted metal feet. It was definitely a robot, and judging by the ferocity in its steps, probably a male. She pulled the knife from its holster and held it close to her body. She had to be quiet, especially when it came to breathing. The mask allowed her to live, but each gulp of air seemed to echo like a speaker. With no other options coming to mind, she inhaled one more time, and held it in.

The robot crept into the cave, observing everything it saw. It looked past the bag, thinking it to be another rock. It tilted its head, however, when the former campfire came into view. "What do we have here?" She was right, a male. He extended an arm to the charred wood. Upon picking up a piece it immediately fell apart. Some flakes flew off, still glowing from the recent fire. "It's still hot..." He dropped the wood and stood up straight, looking at his surroundings more closely. He found a few footsteps that led in, but none leading out; they stopped at the fire. "So you're still here..." He retracted one of his hands, replacing it with a hammer-like weapon. "Come on out. I know you're here, Casshern." Casshern? Who or what was Casshern? Was it another robot? "They say once you're devoured, the Ruin will come to an end."

Her lungs began to burn after three minutes. She couldn't hold her breath any longer. She needed a fresh dose of air, and quickly. But breathing meant her cover would be blown, she'd be heard. The need for air outweighed remaining concealed, though, and she took in a new breath. It was the slowest and quietest inhalation she'd even taken, but she still was still alarmed. Everything was still. She didn't move a muscle. She reviewed her memory. Had an echo followed her breath? She waited, and nothing happened. A sigh left her mouth.

She heard a grunting noise. Glancing upward, she saw a large shadow coming toward her. She quickly rolled out of the way, the boulder she'd hidden behind smashed into pebbles. Her eyes met the machine. "So Casshern's not here," he said, bringing his hammer back. He approached her, one step, then another. She brought the knife close to her. "At least I'll be able to get some spare parts out of this." He ran toward her and swung his arm, nearly hitting her. She managed to evade his first attack, but was hit with the second, and flew several feet back. The robot hit the ceiling, causing some stalactites to fall. She couldn't get away from them. They hit her, scraping the surface of all fabric and skin. Blood had been drawn. She swiftly rose and rushed to the robot, and swiped her knife from his leg to his arm, dodging another attack. She repeated her maneuver, this time getting hit with the hammer as she severed his arm. She was lucky his body had been effected by the Ruin, or her slices wouldn't have done anything. "Damn you!" he yelled, and blindsided her with his hammer. She hit the wall and landed in a pile of jagged rocks. Throbbing took over her side. Something had been broken. "You still look brand new. How hasn't the Ruin effected your body?" She scrambled to her feet, supporting her body with one of the fallen stalactites. The robot drew nearer. She had to stop him somehow, but there was no way she'd be able to destroy him completely only with her knife. With no other options in mind, she lifted the lightest stalactite she could find and tossed it like a javelin. It impaled the robot's chest, knocking him down. She closed in on the robot, slowly, ready to retaliate if he got back up. A hissing sound escaped his chest cavity as he tried hard to speak. "Hold on...don't tell me...you're the-" His voice died out. She didn't believe he was dead, though, only temporarily taken care of. She used the opportunity to make a run for it. She grabbed her bag and limped out of the cave.

Pain took over a large area covering her right side. There were definitely a few ribs broken. She put pressure underneath them, and felt extreme warmth and moisture seeping between her fingers. A stalactite had pierced her. She was bleeding, and it was becoming heavier. Her vision began to blur, her breathing becoming labored. She fell to her knees and collapsed. Death was near, she could feel it. Her hand reached out to the horizon. Her entire life had consisted of survival, her dream to find Luna and a human on this wasteland. They'd all be left in the dust soon. The purpose for her entire existence was nothing now. Her eyes closed, and she remembered the first words the robot had said: "So you're still here...Casshern. They say once you're devoured, the Ruin will come to an end." And then she'd been discovered, and a fight for her survival ensued for the last time.

"Casshern...who are you?"


	2. Chapter 2

The robot lay dormant on the ground, his arm tossed several yards away near the mouth of the cave. "Damn...her..." he struggled to say, dragging his body out through the opening. Somehow he managed to make it onto his feet. He limped out, not even bothering to pick up his arm; it was already beginning to ruin. "I don't care anymore! I'm going to take what I need and kill her!" He looked around as he hobbled across the ground, waiting to see his opponent's body laying anywhere within reach. "Come out and face me, rat! Show yourself!" Nobody answered. "I know you're still alive!" Scanning the ground and cliffs, he caught sight of a figure sitting atop a metal structure. "There you are!" he snarled, and stomped over to it. The closer he got, the quicker his pace became. It had the same shape as her. "Finally..." He raised his hammer arm and swung it at the target. "Now, DIE!" A hand was raised, stopping the hammer mid-swing. The robot froze, shocked. "What the..." The robot pushed harder against the figure to no avail. "Wait... You're not her! Who are you?"

The figure turned its head, glancing at the robot from the side. He was met with blue eyes, but no answer. Only the stare of bittersweet emotions swirling inside of blue irises. "Well? Answer me!" The robot pushed on his arm again, only to be shoved away. He examined his new target. Blue eyes, brown hair, a human-like form covered in a white bodysuit...and that 'C' on his chest... "Hold on...are you-"

"Casshern?" the figure finally spoke. "Yes...I am." He stood up, a matching helmet pulling his hair in and covering his ears.

"Casshern..." the robot hissed. "So you're the cause of the Ruin! You killed Luna!" He retracted his hammer arm and swung it behind him. "I'll end this hell now by devouring you!" The robot threw his hammer at Casshern again. Casshern was already in the air, throwing a kick that sent it spiraling into a nearby rock formation. Stone severely dented the robot's body, tearing a few holes in his torso. Wires were left visible. The robot suffered terrible internal damage, yet he stood again. "Casshern!" he yelled, running with a limp toward his target. Casshern's eyes glowed as his mask covered his face. Again the robot was hit. He landed on a more jagged portion of the ground, a rock formation piercing his shoulder stump, trapping him. Casshern stood over him and saw the once aggressive creature try to free himself. "Murderer! I will devour you!" He ran his arm through the robot's core and grabbed all the wires he could feel. They were ripped out and thrown to the side. The bulbs that once lit the machine's eyes died. "Luna...save...me..." he cried one last time before his voice ceased to exist.

Casshern felt a stinging sensation on his chest. Looking down, he found a long, thick line cut into him. The hammer's hidden blade came out during the robot's last attack. His mask vanished. His teeth clenched as the wound sewed itself closed. It was a slow and painful process, one he always hated. A wail of agony came out before the wound was completely healed. Casshern removed his helmet and stared down at the robot. Another destroyed robot, brought on by his hand. Moving his eyes down, he saw the robot's footsteps. They led to a cave, far off from where they'd fought. Curiosity got the better of him and he started toward the cave. As he drew closer, he noticed small dark red spots littering the ground. They were tiny, growing bigger the closer he got. Near the cave's entrance he saw a much larger puddle. Casshern knelt down and touched the spot. It was still wet. He saw a footprint in front of the spot, and looking in the direction it went, seeing more. Something had been here before, and the robot had most likely attacked it. Casshern stood. He followed the trail, seeing the red spots grow in consistency. The trail quickly came to an end when Casshern stopped, seeing a body on the ground. It was motionless. Most likely a robot that had succumbed to the Ruin.

He came down next to the body, immediately finding the source of the trail. A large stain of red covered its side, spreading onto its shirt and skin. Casshern laid his hand on the wound, and felt moisture. It was fresh. He pushed the body onto its back to examine it further, and his eyes widened. A woman, and something about her... Casshern immediately scooped the body up and brought it back to the cave. Once inside, he laid her down. He found a pool of water inside and gathered some in his hands, gently splashing it onto her body. She was dirty and cold, but somehow still alive. Inside the cave, he found a bag among the rubble of fallen stalactites, and concluded that it belonged to her. As he cleaned the dirt and blood from her body, he had a chance to examine her closer. She had brown hair like him, loosely curled and pulled into a loose high ponytail, with lighter strands at the bottom. Her skin was pale, probably caused by her injury, and her eyes remained closed in her unconscious state. She looked about average size for a humanoid, running a little on the thinner side. Her clothes were torn and stained beyond help. And then there was that thing on the lower half of her face: a structure of old metal and tubes. It was a strange contraption, something Casshern hadn't seen before...at least, he didn't remember seeing one. It appeared the tubes had been recently replaced with newer, less ruined ones. His head tilted, curious. He reached his hand to her face, and slowly, pulled the contraption away from her skin. Her entire face was now visible to him. Her lips were faded and parched, dry for who knew how long. Casshern took more water in his hand and brought it to her lips, quenching their thirst. Her cheeks also lacked color. Her life was near its end. His hand moved down from her mouth to her neck, where he felt a soft beating movement. It traveled down her neck to the left side of her chest, which he followed, and the beating became a little stronger. It was still weak, though, too weak to support life. She would probably die within a few hours.

Casshern continued to clean her off as much as possible, all while wondering about the beating sensation in her chest. He hadn't felt anything like that when ripping through a robot's body. Soon her body was free from most of the dirt that once covered her. He'd cleaned out her wound and wrapped it with fabric from her sleeve to keep the muck out. He'd done his best to keep her alive. His mind wandered to the red spots that led him to her. It looked like blood, just like he had. He looked over to where a fire had previously burned. It only looked a few hours old, maybe half a day. Perhaps she was the one who'd made the small fire pit. He inspected the mask again. What was the point of her wearing it? It would only fall apart. A small piece broke off and turned to dust. Just as he thought. He set the mask down and started to build a new fire. He found wood piled along one of the cave walls. She must have been in here for a while before being attacked. The flame ignited, and heat began to fill the cave. He watched her, observing for any changes or movement.

-0-0-0-0-

Her eyes peeled open. There was a dim flickering light nearby, allowing her to see. She felt drained and weak. The light revealed a familiar ceiling. It was the same cave from before. But how? Had she been dragged back in by the robot? She quickly pushed herself to a sitting position and immediately felt a burning, throbbing feeling where she'd been stabbed. She hissed and held the wound.

"Don't force yourself to move." She froze when she heard the voice, slowly spinning her head in the direction it came from. A figure dressed in white, leaning against the opposite wall, had spoken to her. "If you move too much, your wound will reopen." She squinted to look beyond the fire between them, and saw thick brown locks sweeping around his face. His eyes, deep blue swirls, were almost completely hidden behind his bangs. He looked at her with concern. She stopped moving and leaned on the wall behind her, holding pressure on her side. "...Does it hurt?"

She looked down at the wound. Fresh wrappings had been put on her, torn from her sleeve. "...No," she hesitated. "Not too much." Her knees drew in to her chest and she locked an arm around them. "Where did you find me?"

Casshern pointed to the mouth of the cave. "Your blood trail led about a half mile out. You were in the middle of the area." He took a fresh stick from the pile and tossed it into the fire. The flames danced and licked at the new fuel. "How did you acquire that injury?" He already knew the answer.

"A..." She paused. "...Another robot. He was looking for spare parts and found me, and decided to rip me to pieces." Her legs slid apart. "I managed to save myself. However, he still got me."

"I see..." Another stick became fire fuel.

Her hand drew up to move some hair from her view. "It probably ran off and fell apart somewhere afterward. I wonder where..." As her hand slid down her face, she felt skin along her jaw and froze again. She felt around her face, from the bridge of her nose to her chin, feeling skin all around. She gasped, immediately covering her mouth with one hand. The other flew around her as she frantically searched for her mask. Casshern rose and approached her. He found the mask on the ground and a larger piece fell off.

He knelt next to her and offered her the broken object. She noticed it in his hand and took it from him, her own hands falling. Her face dropped. "What is this contraption?" Casshern asked. "It was on your face when I found you."

She lifted it closer to her face and saw a large crack form in the middle. Pieces as big as the crack fell off and crumbled to dust. Still holding her breath, she gulped, and readied herself to die from the only air she could breathe. It drew into her starving lungs. It flowed back out to make room for more. More air circulated through her body. She felt no burning, no internal corroding. Nothing. "I...I can breathe..." She looked at Casshern, surprised. "Originally, this was supposed to help me. But it appears that I don't need it anymore. It wouldn't benefit me, anyway, not in this state." She tossed the ruined object into the fire and it quickly shattered.

Casshern looked at her hands. They were rough, calloused, the skin worn at from the harsh living conditions. He felt the beating in his mind again, the one he'd felt before, only stronger this time. It was steady, vibrating at an even pace. He wanted to know what it was. She suddenly winced. A stabbing feeling had developed. He guided her onto her back again. "You're still very weak. You need to rest." He knew it would take her a while to heal. "You need to regain your strength." An arm reached over her head and she pointed to the bag laying among a small rock pile. Casshern pulled it over to her and opened it. She reached inside, taking out an apple. She brought it to her mouth and took a bite. Casshern watched her eat it. It fascinated him: the way she chewed, the way her throat moved when she swallowed, and the process repeating over and over, until the apple was gone. A sweet aroma left her mouth every time she breathed. He took the scent in. He'd never smelled anything like it before.

"...It doesn't hurt as much now," she said, breaking the silence. "Could you help me sit up?" Casshern nodded and helped her up, making sure to go slowly. He propped her against the wall like before. The air grew silent again.

"You're not a robot, are you?" She looked up at him. "You talked about breathing and eating. That's not something robots need to survive." He moved closer to her. "What kind of creature are you?" Her lips cracked apart to release sound, only to be interrupted by an outside noise. She and Casshern turned their attention to the cave mouth. They heard metal creaking; it was faint, but quickly growing stronger. She pushed on the wall to stand, nearly falling forward in the process. Casshern caught her before she could. "What do you think you're doing?"

Hunting knife already in hand, she pushed herself up using Casshern's shoulder. He heard her panting, and saw sweat gathering on her face. "I have to fight..." she struggled to say as she breathed, throwing some dirt into the fire pit. "They probably see the light from the fire. They're coming for me..."

"Why would they be after you?" He stared at her and waited for an answer, and their eyes met for the first time. Casshern saw his reflection in them, tinted in the gold of her irises, a color that would envy the sun's luster. He knew that look all too well: the same stare of a hunted creature, it was his own look. But he couldn't understand why she'd choose to fight in her state. Or even stranger, why such a weak creature like her would be hunted.

Casshern helped her put out the flames and the cave became dark. But the noise from outside grew louder as it approached them. "It's definitely more than one robot. Probably a group of them." Now steady on her feet, she started for the cave entrance. Casshern put an arm out to block her path. "Please, let me leave."

He shook his head. "I can't do that. You're injured." She knew he meant his words, but she took his wrist and moved his arm herself. She continued to the cave entrance, and suddenly stopped. "What's wrong?" When he got no answer, Casshern made his way to her. He looked outside, and saw why she'd fallen silent. There was much more than a group approaching them. It was almost like an army, all large robots, intent on killing him should they cross paths. And that time was quickly coming to them. Casshern walked in front of her. "Stay here." As she was going to protest, another wave of pain hit her. "See? You wouldn't last a second out there."

"...Alright." She finally relaxed herself, but remained standing. "If you need my help, you know where to find me." Casshern nodded and faced the robots. She watched as his hair was sucked in by white. It covered his head completely, only leaving his face visible. He walked out of the cave, moving slowly. It was only then she saw the devices hanging from his hips: two long pipes with wide attachments. And then there was his attire, a white bodysuit as tight as skin, with only a wide collar to show it wasn't. What sort of creature was he? And more importantly, how did his body appear so new in a world full of rust?

The robot leading the pack ran toward the cave. "There it is," he said, pointing to the cave. "That's where I saw him leave with that other one! Come, we must devour Casshern and obtain the Fruit!" The others roared, thrusting their weapon clad arms into the air. "We're not going to die here!" Casshern glanced back to the woman when he heard the robot's speech. Did he call her the Fruit? He'd only heard it once before, when he slaughtered a machine days ago. That meant...

The robots advanced on him. A small team of five reached him first. One of them, a small brown robot, thrust its arm out at him. Casshern smacked it away, knocking off the limb and kicked the body to the ground. As it tried to stand he stomped on its neck and destroyed the creature. Two others ran to him and attempted to tackle him down, but they were quickly brought to their end. A fourth shot rockets out at the white figure, only to have them ricocheted back at him. The last of the first round shot its arms out at Casshern. He phased through them and caught up to the machine. The robot was met with a knee to its chin. Casshern soared into the air, floating like a leaf in the wind. Its head flew off and it died. Casshern landed on top of another's body. His force pushed it into the ground and cracked it into tiny pieces. His mask retracted into the helmet.

Her eyes were wide again. She'd seen him moving but could hardly believe it. He moved with such ease and grace, and at such an inhuman speed. None of the robots had been able to land a single blow on his body. The carcasses around him broke down into smaller pieces, then dust, and flew away in the breeze. What was he? She recalled what the leader had said before: "We must devour Casshern..." Casshern... the one who would end the Ruin by having his body devoured? How would that help? The rest started to make their way to him. Some dragged their arms behind them, while others swayed with each step. Their voices were faint, but she could make out their words perfectly. They all repeated the same words in unison as they marched.

"Kill Casshern... Kill Casshern... Kill Casshern... KILL CASSHERN!"

Casshern's mask covered his face again. His eyes glowed and he vanished, reappearing several times as he advanced to his next target. Casshern jumped through the first robot in his path, landing firmly on his toes. He went straight for the next one and punched it into small piles of scrap metal. As he flipped into the air above, another machine tried to back away from him, only to end up like its comrades with a heel to the head. Casshern landed and stumbled forward, thrusting his arm into another's core. He grabbed any wires that touched his hand and tore them out.

She couldn't look away from the scene. She was used to seeing robots being torn apart, whether by her hand or each other's, but she'd never seen it on this level. Casshern was doing more than killing the robots; he was beating them to the point where no one would recognize their corpse. He was speeding up their ruin on an immense scale. She was entrance by it all, epsecially the way Casshern flew around. It was so elegant and agile; powerful enough to crush an enemy to dust, yet light as air. Electric currents soared around the robots who were torn apart and left to rot. "Devour Casshern!" one called out as he dashed toward Casshern. He was quickly defeated, his entire right side now a pile of debris, and collapsed. Casshern relaxed his body and turned to the robot he'd just destroyed. It was still alive, pulling its fragmented body toward him. "Kill Casshern..." it weakly said, "Kill... Casshern..." Casshern only stared at the robot. "Devour... Casshern..."

The mask vanished again. "What for?" he asked. "How does eating me serve you?" The robot chuckled.

"The Ruin will never stop... My body couldn't last another six months in this state of decay, even if you let me walk away unharmed." Holding himself up with his arm, the robot's metal claws lost most of their outer shell.

"And what does that have to do with me?" Casshern asked.

"Casshern..." The robot paused. "If I eat you, I will attain eternal life."

Casshern's eyes widened. "You're lying."

"I have no idea whether it's true or not." The robot reached for a severed arm. The mace at the end was the only thing available to use to bring him down. "But I'm not going to sit around, waiting to die, without trying something! You'd better believe that!" He threw the mace at Casshern, who immediately jumped out of the way. Casshern thrust downward and punched the robot into itself. He delivered a second punch, then a third, a fourth and fifth. The robot was no more. There were none left to fight. Casshern picked up a loose wire and studied it.

"The Ruin won't stop. They believe if they eat me, they will live forever." He looked up at the dark sky. Clouds hid the moon and stars from view. He heard something behind him and spun around, smacking away a screw. He readied himself.


	3. Chapter 3

He was ready for any threat that came out of the robotic graveyard. One of the robots he'd already taken down rose from the ground. "Kill Casshern..." it said out loud. Its broken body wobbled as it approached him. "Devour Casshern. Kill Casshern. Devour Casshern." Casshern leaned back, raising his hand to face level. "Destroy Casshern." The robot stopped, and suddenly, it fell apart. Revealed underneath, with parts dangling from her arms, was a female creature, most likely a robot. She raised her arms and smirked. Casshern's eyes widened. She gave a small laugh before changing her expression to a serious one, looking down at the rusted remains. "They seem to be quite frail once they lose their consciousness." Casshern stood silent, watching as she dropped her arms and vanished into a cloud of smoke. His eyes moved to the ground, where the rusted parts continued to corrode at an accelerated level.

"It's such a fragile world...full of robots..." He fell silent, watching robot parts turn to dust. Suddenly a massive pain hit his chest. His arms wrapped around his body. He'd been hit several times by one or more of the robots, one making contact via a jagged metal edge. His teeth grit, his fists clenched, and he let out a gut-wrenching scream. It felt awful. His yelling lasted for a few minutes before it finally ceased and he staggered, falling backwards against a rock face. His breath was heavy. He was glad the pain had left. After regaining his breath, Casshern stood up and walked back to the cave, no longer feeling any sort of agony. He didn't see the woman standing at the entrance. She must've retired inside. Soon he was at the mouth of the cave. Looking inside, he saw the woman laying on the ground, holding her injury. So she wasn't able to remain standing, just as he thought. He approached her, moving slowly to prevent creating any large noises. He knelt over her. She was motionless, only her chest rising and falling in a steady motion. He wondered what sort of creature she was. She couldn't be a robot, could she? He'd never come across a model with the ability to consume food. His eyes moved to the hand covering her injury. It was still the same shade of red as before. "Her healing abilities must be weak," he whispered to himself. His hand hovered over the woman's body, unsure if he should check it or not.

"So your name is Casshern?" he heard her voice ask unexpectedly. He pulled his hand back. "You don't know how many times I've been mistaken for you. It's quite infuriating."

Casshern pushed himself back. "...Sorry." The fire was beginning to die down. He tossed another branch into the flames to keep it alive. "They have this crazy belief, saying if they eat my flesh they'll survive until the end of time."

"That sounds like a lot of bullshit," she commented, "but I can understand why they'd keep coming. You look brand new." She forced herself to a sitting position, wincing and holding her wound. "Didn't one of the robots attack you?" Casshern leaned toward her and offered a hand, but moved away when she shook her head.

"I..." he hesitated. "I'm able to heal immediately. Any wound I gain quickly vanishes." He looked over to her. "What about you?"

"Hmm?"

He stood up. "You haven't recovered. The wound's still open." The wrapping had become a dark crimson. Drips trickled down her body, pooling at her side. "The wrapping needs to be changed." He moved closer to her and touched above the wound. She flinched and grabbed his wrist, sucking her teeth in pain. He froze.

One of her eyes closed as she drew in breaths to assume control over the pain. "...I'm alright," she said after a minute. "There's some cloth in my bag, under the apples. You can use that." As she released him, he reached for the bag and pushed the top flap off. He dug under the food she'd gathered and found a long cloth, already partially torn. "Yeah, that's it. Just tear it into strips." Casshern did as suggested and tore the cloth into four long strips.

"One should be enough to wrap around you." She lifted her shirt to reveal the bandaged area. The cloth he'd used looked nothing of how it used to. It was wet to the touch and reeked of old blood. Slowly, Casshern unraveled the bloody fabric from her torso and tossed it into the fire. He knew that any remnants of blood left behind would leave a trail for more robots to follow. The woman held her breath at the scent of the smoldering cloth, the blood creating a sickening fragrance. Holding her breath in also helped with keeping any screams of agony locked inside as Casshern examined her wound. From what he could see, it needed to be cleaned out again. "Mud soaked through it," he finally said after moments of silence. "It needs another washing."

She lifted a shaking arm, pointing to the small pool behind them. "Water... over there." Casshern shifted to a kneeling position and held his arms out in an attempt to scoop her up. "No. I can walk." Her hands pushed against the ground. She grit her teeth as her body began to rise. Casshern stood and took her hands in his, steadily helping her onto her feet. He ducked under her arm and brought her hand to the other side, using his body to support her weight as they crawled toward the pool. He sat her down at the water's edge and laid her on her back. She nodded her head, and drawing in a deep breath, shut her eyes tight. She didn't want to watch him scoop handfuls of water into the gaping hole on her side. Feeling it was already enough for her. She didn't have to watch, though, to imagine what it looked like. Probably a reasonably sized slab of flesh ripped off from her body. It definitely felt that way.

Casshern finished cleaning out the wound and sat her up. He took the fresh cloth strip and began to wrap it around her torso. She winced when he tied the finishing knot. "That should hold for at least a day," he murmured to her. He positioned her sitting up against the wall again and slid next to her, resting his arms on his knees. They sat in silence: she, breathing at a leisurely pace as she stared into the dancing flames; and he, watching the light flicker in and out of her eyes. _What is she?_ He wondered.

"...You're right about me not being a robot," she finally said, breaking the quietude. "I'm... I'm a human." His eyes widened slightly. "I didn't want to say anything at first because I thought you were like them. I assumed you'd try to do something to me."

"Like what?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Kill me? Kidnap me? Whatever you robots like to do."

"Oh..." He turned away from her. "...I'm not exactly what you'd call a robot." Her attention was drawn to him. "It's strange, really. I don't appear to be either human nor robot. I'm caught on the fence, in the purgatory between the two realms. And nobody else seems to know what I am, either. Just who I am... Which I don't even know." Her eyes moved to the contraptions on his hips again. They intrigued her. She wanted to know what they were, and how they worked.

She sighed. "We're both targets for unknown reasons. The only difference is you're able to easily defend yourself. Me? All I can really do is run and hide." She grabbed a nearby branch and tossed it into the starving fire.

His eyes trailed to the mouth of the cave. It was still dark out. "It's late. You need your rest." She didn't have the strength to fight his wishes. With a tired yawn, she laid down, keeping her injury pointed to the ceiling as she faced away from him. She didn't want him to see the pain written on her face as she descended into a slumber.

* * *

At the sound of his horrible scream, an older man glanced in the direction he heard Casshern's voice emanating from. He held his hat down against the breeze, feeling it move against his torn clothing. Debris from robots that had decayed long ago floated in the wind. His robotic eyes remained fixed on the empty wasteland ahead of him. In the truck behind him, a young girl rubbed her face as she awoke. "Ohji?" she called his name. The wind suddenly picked up ans blew her hair back, revealing a large metal plate wrapping around her skull.

The man turned to look back at her. "Ringo!" he exclaimed. "What are you awake for? Why don't you try to go back to sleep?" Reluctantly, Ringo slid back into the truck and let out a loud yawn, pulling her blanket over her body. Ohji walked back to her and sat inside. He started the old machine and drove down the rickety rock surface, completely oblivious to the small girl's wide-eyed smile.

"So, Casshern...you've finally awakened..." He stopped the truck after driving for a half hour. Ringo had passed out as soon as she felt the motion of the truck. Looking down the cliffside, Ohji saw a hooded man stare up at him.

"We knew this would happen. Looks like business is about to pick up for you." With a small nod the man walked away. Ohji turned to the sleeping child and pat her head.

* * *

The woman's eyes batted open. She felt her body shaking; it wasn't much, but enough for her to realize she wasn't on the ground. She glanced to her left, only to find white and a red streak obscuring her view. "Casshern..." she mumbled, still half asleep. Her eyes moved up and she saw the underside of his jaw. She was in his arms, and they were walking. "Why are we moving?"

"It's not safe for us to stay in one place for too long," he replied, keeping his focus ahead of him. Your injury makes you vulnerable for further attacks. You'd be dead in an instant."

"And my bag?"

He moved his chin toward his shoulder, where she saw the strap for her backpack. "Everything's still inside." She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. She didn't remember it being so bright. "We're almost at our destination." She looked in the direction they were walking and saw a larger, clearer waterfront, unable to tell if it was an ocean or something completely different. They approached a larger cave and she closed her eyes again. "You never told me who you are."

"Why would it matter?" she asked, leaving him at a loss for words. She leaned her head against his chest, ready to slip into unconsciousness once more. "Sielik."

* * *

A pink-hued shell lay in the water. Ringo eagerly reached in and grabbed it, displaying it with a proud giggle over her head. She set it in her pocket and hopped around in the water. Her hop soon turned into a run as she spotted another shell and picked it up. Ringo raised it like done with the previous one, this time holding it up to the sun. She closed one eye and stared at it, moving the shell across the sky.

And then she saw it: a figure sitting on a rock surface hovering above the water. Her eyes widened and she studied his features. He wore white, and his brown hair bounced against the gusting air. She let out a quiet gasp. She'd never seen anyone so beautiful before. She wanted to get a closer look at him. Ringo giggled and ran toward the stranger. He heard her approaching and turned her way. His hardened stare brought her to a halt, and he watched her tuck the shell she was holding into the pocket on her dress. Ringo climbed up the rock wall and sat down next to him, looking at him from a side glance. He was amazed at her curiosity. Her eyes widened again and she reached a hand to him. "Pretty..."

"Who, me?" he asked, his voice calming the numbed appearance in his eyes. She nodded and looked down to the water.

"...Mister, are you human?" she suddenly asked, catching him off guard. His eyes moved out to the water and he stayed silent. "...So you're a robot?"

He pushed some hair from his eyes. "Well...probably."

"You're not sure?" Thinking she heard him reply, Ringo looked up at him. But he remained silent. She stood up and began to walk away. The thought bounced around his mind. He remembered what Sielik had confessed to him.

"_**...You're right about me not being a robot. I'm... I'm a human."**_ But what _was_ a human?

Casshern stood up and spun around. Would Ringo be able to provide him with that answer? "What's a human?"

"I don't know," she replied in a giggle while spinning in circles. "I haven't seen very many before. But I thought you may be one of those humans, because you're so pretty." She skipped back toward him and sat again. "What's your name, mister? You have a name, don't you?"

"My name?"

Her smile grew. "My name is Ringo." Out of nowhere, she jumped up and threw her arms out. "MY NAME IS RINGO!" she exclaimed.

He was taken aback by her passion. His voice became shaky. "I am..." Memories from the night before flooded in. How all those robots had surrounded him. How they slowly marched simultaneously, holding their weapon-clad arms up. All repeating the same two words.

"_**Kill Casshern!"**_

He sucked in a sharp breath. No, he had to calm down. "I'm Casshern."

"Casshern?" She was now grinning from ear to ear. Casshern didn't understand, but he found the girl's passion to be very compelling.


End file.
